What do pastors of growing churches have in common? Cynthia Woolever finds three commonalities:
- Age. While pastors of all ages shepherd growing churches, those in their 50s are most likely to do so.
- Career Path. Statistically first career pastors are more likely to lead a growing church than are second career pastors.
- Tenure. Pastors with longer tenures are more likely to lead growing churches.
So What?
Reviewing the profile of pastors of growing churches the most likely person to serve a growing congregation is one who is a first career pastor, has significant ministry experience, and has served her or his present congregation for quite some time. Since only 25% of all congregations are growing, studying and learning from this group is essential.
- Is your congregation growing, stable, or declining? List your congregation’s clergy’s age, career path and tenure.
- Apart from clergy, what do you consider some of the most significant attributes shared by most growing congregations?